Tuesday night, the Rebel Alliance lost its third game of the season.
It was a tough, physical game, punctuated by a slight altercation near the end, tempers flaring as the competitive spirits of both teams got the better of them. In the end, the other team overwhelmed the Alliance into turnovers and capitalizing, beating them by 15 points.
The team sat on the sideline after the game, sweat pouring through the already-soaked mesh jerseys. We all caught our breath and started to pack up our things, the eight members of the team already breaking down the game like it was a NBA post-game show.
This was week four of intramural basketball, and we needed to win to keep our playoff hopes alive. Alas, silly turnovers and bone-headed lapses on defense proved too much for us to overcome, even with me finally finding my shooting touch. I hadn’t hit a three-pointer in the previous three games, and Tuesday I hit three.
It was a welcome relief to have played better than I had to start the short season, but to tell you the truth, it really didn’t matter. I was just happy that I was able to play another week with a great group of friends who all love basketball. We may not be the best team around, but I wouldn’t trade my spot on this team for anything. Varsity basketball this is not, but when you’re playing a sport you love with friends, it doesn’t matter. Sure, being the victor does have its perks, but just as Tuesday’s loss proved to me, I still enjoy the competition of matching my five against your five.
The Rebel Alliance is definitely a hodgepodge of guys. We have my freshman brother Byron, who was a first-team all-league member three years in a row in Vernonia and is by far the best player on the team. It’s been fun to play with him again, since the last time we played organized basketball together was four years ago when he was a skinny freshman in high school, playing both junior varsity and varsity.
There’s also my taller, bull-headed roommate Josh, who puts in the dirty work in the post. Our other post, Byron’s roommate, Alex, is a presence inside, but he can hit the trey when called upon. As for guards, it’s me and my good friends Caz, David, Knight and Simon.
For me, I don’t have the quickness or stamina I did in high school, and my 45 percent touch from long-distance has taken a big dent because of lack of practice. I play at the Student Recreation Center once a week, twice if I’m lucky, so it’s only natural that any talent that I thought I had would diminish. It’s something we all face as the demands of college and life start to pile up.
But after the game Tuesday night, I had a chance to just sit there and take in the moment. The referees were packing up the equipment, trying to get out of Gerlinger Annex, and my friends were still shooting around on a court. I smiled, although I was still fired up about the altercation that happened earlier. This was what I missed from high school. The adrenaline high of competing with a group of guys you called friends. Winning or losing doesn’t matter if you have fun. That’s something a lot of people lose sight of, especially when there’s no scholarship or paycheck on the line. It’s a game that we all play because we love it, but at the end of the day it’s still a game.
That’s why I like intramurals and why I’m glad I’ve partaken in this wonderful part of college life every year I’ve been here. It’s all about the competition. We pay $60 a team to play five games, with the hopes of the playoffs and a chance at winning a … T-shirt. Not exactly the Larry O’Brien Trophy, but it’s not the shirts we are playing for.
We are playing to relive the glory days, when all of us were way better in our heads than we actually were and every achievement is bigger every time you tell it. The reality may be that I am slower and out of shape, but playing with my brother and friends makes it easier to accept.
So, I challenge all of you intramural teams out there in this final week and a half to remember why you’re playing. It’s not to pick fights or gripe at the student refs who are just doing their jobs or other negative things. It’s to have some class and sportsmanship, remember basketball is fun and enjoy the company of some good friends.
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